Amsterdam is a city that surprised me when I visited for the first time a few years ago. I have never had a certain desire to go and visit the Dutch city, but once I went there I sort of fell in love with Amsterdam. I loved the lively vibe, the young crowds, the cosmopolitan feeling and the canals, the beautiful, old architecture and the cool cafés, shops and restaurants. My last Amsterdam trip was a month ago to speak at a blogger conference, but I also found some spare time to discover a few new places that I want to share with you today.
Amsterdam is easily accessible from all parts of Europe thus it is quite a good weekend getaway destination. And the city is perfect for a weekend visit – whether you want to discover some of its many fabulous museums, go to see a show, eat in great restaurants or simply stroll and shop. My last visit included more of the latter to be honest, so here are a few tips for your next Amsterdam trip grouped by city areas:
De 9 Straatjes: The 9 streets in Amsterdam’s canal belt are a perfect area to roam and discover – quirky shops, cool cafés and fine eateries are abundant in this area. It is ideal to be discovered by foot and spend an afternoon. Or a full day if you want. I went to a number of cool fashion boutiques but as usual I only remember the places where I had good coffee or yummy food. Places like Screaming Beans for great coffee, Pluk for healthy and delicious breakfasts (some say it is one of the most instagrammed places in Amsterdam), Urban Cacao for delicious, handmade chocolate, great food-to-go at Foodware, cool art and coffee at Cloud. You see, there’s lots to see and discover in that area.
Willemspark: In the southwest of Amsterdam is a beautiful and leafy residential area with very nice villas and old architecture. Among those beautiful buildings you’ll also find some cool places to shop and eat of course. I went to Dignita restaurant which serves excellent and healthy food, smoothies, good coffee and delicious cakes. All in a very cool interiors with quite a few plants. Double like! Just next doors is a fabulous vintage shop named DasGaaf (save some space in your suitcase for a vintage vase).
De Pijp: South of the city center is a very bustling quarter called De Pijp. It is not an area I chose to go by coincidence, it was planned in advance as I wanted to go to one very cool restaurant/café named CT Coffee & Coconuts. This fantastic café is located in a 1920s cinema building and is an epitome of a cool, relaxed urban space where leisurely guests sit next to working freelancers. Definitely a must-visit!
With these few tips you’ll easily fill a weekend in Amsterdam. And if that is not enough, why not considering a visit of the wonderful botanical garden in Amsterdam? Whatever you prefer, have a good time!
Photography by Igor Josifovic
9 Comments
Lieber Igor, deine Reisetipps kommen gerade zur rechten Zeit! Ich fahre am Samstag nach Amsterdam und bin immer für “Geheim-Tipps” offen.
Großes Dankeschön, also!!!!
Deine Bilder sind so zauberhaft, dass meine Reisefreude jetzt doch noch mal etwas angestiegen ist (nachdem sie aufgrund der politischen Lage die letzte Woche etwas abgeflaut ist …).
Greetings & Love & a good start in the new week
Ines
Oh wunderbar, das ist dann ein gutes Timing! Lass Dich nicht von der Situation betrüben, wir sind frei und können reisen wie wir wollen, den Sieg gönnen wir denen nicht! Viel Spaß in Amsterdam – ich bin immer wieder gerne dort! Bin gespannt, wo Du alles hingehst:-)
Great tips! We spent just a weekend in Amsterdam last year, so we are looking forward to coming back and get to know the city a little bit better. Maybe next Spring? These tips will come in Handy!
xx,
E.
http://www.theslowpace.com
Spring is an excellent timing! Definitely go and check out some of these places, I really loved all of them!
Amsterdam was my first city love. I was 16 and I’m still in love!
Thanks for the wonderful virtual tour, Igor.
You are very welcome Lisa! Glad you enjoyed it!
[…] ist wirklich praktisch um die kulinarischen Highlights einer Stadt zu entdecken. Und auch Igor vom Happy Interior Blog hat mir wirklich sehr tolle Locations empfohlen. Wobei ich dazu sagen muss, dass an Amsterdam […]
Lieber Igor, genau wie du bin ich in Amsterdam verliebt, mittlerweile hat es London als meine eigentliche Lieblingsstadt schon überholt. Dank deiner Fotos möchte ich jetzt SOFORT wieder nach Amsterdam, obwohl ich für Anfang November schon gebucht habe und nächstes Jahr sogar einen Monat Sabbatical dort machen werde, um konzentriert an meinem Holland-Blog zu arbeiten. Die 9 straatjes kenne ich natürlich, habe aber noch nicht allzu viele Cafés und Restaurants ausprobiert, 1000 Dank also für die Tipps! Viele liebe Grüße, Stefanie
Freut mich, dass es Dir so gut gefällt Stefanie! Ich war gerade vor einer Woche noch dort, es ist einfach immer eine Reise wert!